BRITISH COMMANDER LEAVES HONGKONG.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 154, 1 July 1940, Page 8

BRITISH COMMANDER LEAVES HONGKONG.

NAVY TRANSFER?

Far East Fleet Reported

At Singapore

PLANS TOR EVACUATION. United Prees Association.—Copyright. (Received 12.30 p.m.) SHAXOHAT, June 30. It is authoritatively stated that Admiral Sir Percy Noble, Commander-in-Chief in China, with his staff, went to Singapore on Thursday from Hongkong. It is understood that the Far East Fleet and some Australian warships are at Singapore. The American liner President Coolidge left at 0 a.m. and returned, at C p.m. on orders from the United Statee Department. * It is reliably stated that the liner wart ordered to return to Hongkong to pick up refugees after the vessel was i 100 mile* out en route to Shanghai. The Japanese are occupying Shatowkok. east of Shumehun, on the Hongkong border, says a Tokyo message. The American Consnl-Oeneral at Hongkong advised us many Americana an possible to go to Manila and thereby alleviate congestion in the event of an emergency , , which, however, is not anticipated for a.few days. As a result of tTic intended Japanese blockade of the China coast, which is to take effect next Wednesday, and the J proclamation of a state of emergency at \ Hongkong, nil British women and British children under 1H are to be evacuated from Hongkong to Manila, Philippine Islands. Evacuation to Begin To-day. The evacuation will commence on Monday and will l>e completed by Friday next. It is planned to send the women and children on from Manila to Australia. Chinese and foreign banks at Hongkong report a heavy demand for withdrawals, mostly by Chinese. It is believed they plan to go to the interior. The, Central China "Daily News," which is directed by Wang Chinjj-wei, the Japanese-nominated Prime Minister at Nanking, reported that as a result of the assassination of a "Daily News'' employee, Mu Chin-.ying. the Nankin? regime was sending the Shanghai Municipal Council five demands, accompanied by a threat to send Nanking troop* into the International Settlement unless, the demands were granted. They are: —

(1) Arrest of the assassins; (2) jurisdiction over all Chinese Courts in the settlement; (3) the council's cooperation in the Nanking Government's financial organisation; (4) the suppression of all publications, including foreign newspapers, which are antiNanking; (5) a guarantee against future attacks.

The spokesman of the Municipal •Council said the demands had not yet been received.